School milk programme launched

VGP - A school milk programme aimed at providing school-children with free milk to improve their health and physique was launched on January 2.

The program was launched by the Department of Education and Training of Ha Noi and Viet Nam Dairy Product JSC (Vinamilk)

Vinamilk, which won the bidding package, will provide fresh milk for children in kindergartens and primary schools in Ha Noi daily during the 2018-2019 academic year, and till the end of 2020.

About 1.2 million students in the city are expected to benefit from the city’s program whose funding amounts to VND4 trillion (US$172 million).

Of note, poor, near-poor, ethnic minority students and social policy beneficiaries will receive free milk under the program.

Speaking at the event, Director of the department Pham Xuan Tien said the school milk program has been implemented for more than 100 years in many countries worldwide.

The launch is aimed at implementing Decision No. 1340/QĐ-TTg, dated July 8, 2016, by the Prime Minister approving a “school milk program to improve nutritional standards contributing to improving the physique of children in kindergartens and elementary schools by 2020.

The event is aimed at improving children’s nutrition and stature in kindergartens and primary schools by having them drink milk every day to reduce the prevalence of malnutrition, improve their health and physical strength and contribute to human resource development in the future.

By 2020, it has set a target of offering milk to 100% of children in kindergartens and primary schools in all disadvantaged districts and 70% of them in kindergartens and primary schools in other urban and rural areas.

It also aims at increasing the average height of children of admission age (six years old) by 1.5-2cm in both boys and girls compared to 2010./.